The Satanic Temple

The Satanic Temple Offers Donation of Monument to Oklahoma State Capitol

Satanists Hope to Resolve Dispute between Oklahoma City and ACLU

New York, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 12/01/2013 -- The Satanic Temple, an established New York City-based religious organization, has offered to donate a public monument to Oklahoma’s Capitol Preservation Commission for display upon Oklahoma City’s capitol grounds. Described as an “homage” to Satan, the purpose of the monument is to complement and contrast the Ten Commandments monument that already resides on the North side of the building. The donation offer has been submitted and is currently awaiting the commission’s reply.

The Ten Commandments monument, donated to the Capitol Preservation Commission in 2009 by Mike Ritze, a representative of the Oklahoma State Legislature and ordained Southern Baptist Deacon, has raised the ire of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) who filed suit in August of 2013, noting that, “the monument stands alone, with no other monuments or memorials in the immediate vicinity.” Also of concern to the ACLU is the “self-evidently exclusive” religious message “that supports and endorses the faiths and creeds of some churches and sects.” The Satanic Temple believes that in being allowed to place their monument within the proximity of the Ten Commandments monument, they can appease the ACLU’s concerns.

According to the temple’s spokesperson, Lucien Greaves, “by accepting our offer, the good people of Oklahoma City will have the opportunity to show that they espouse the basic freedoms spelled out in the Constitution. We imagine that the ACLU would also embrace such a response. Allowing us to donate a monument would show that the Oklahoma City Council does not discriminate, and both the religious and non-religious should be happy with such an outcome. Our mission is to bring people together by finding common sentiments that create solutions that everyone can appreciate and enjoy.”

In addition to conveying the message they hope to bring with the monument installation, The Satanic Temple is keenly attune to the need for a public-friendly design and seeks out resident ideas in order to encourage acceptance from the public and render the monument an object of play. If permission is granted by Oklahoma’s Capitol Preservation Commission, the temple will allow for submissions from the public and likely have people vote on which design they like best.

About The Satanic Temple
The mission of The Satanic Temple is to encourage benevolence and empathy among all people, advocate practical common sense and justice, and be directed by the human conscience to undertake noble pursuits guided by the individual will. Civic-minded and a believer in universal acceptance, The Satanic Temple has been involved in a number of good works, including taking a stand against the controversial and extremist Westboro Baptist Church. Additionally, the temple has worked to raise funds to participate in the Adopt-A-Highway program so as to keep New York City highways clean and protect the environment. For more information about The Satanic Temple, please visit www.TheSatanicTemple.org